Wales Removes 'Of Mice and Men' from GCSE Curriculum Over Racism Concerns

The decision follows feedback from students and educators about the psychological impact of discussing racial slurs in the classroom.

John Steinbeck's 1937 novel, a long-standing part of the Welsh GCSE English literature curriculum, will no longer be included starting next academic year.
The Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) has introduced a new English language and literature GCSE with a broader and more inclusive selection of texts.
Wales' Children's Commissioner Rocío Cifuentes supported the removal, citing the distress experienced by black students during classroom discussions of the book's racial content.
Students and educators shared mixed perspectives, with some acknowledging the novel’s educational value but others emphasizing the harm caused by its depiction of race and use of racial slurs.
The WJEC collaborated with an anti-racism consultant and consulted diverse organizations to ensure the new curriculum reflects a modern and inclusive Wales.